The latest winner of the Mark Timpany Memorial Trophy as the MVP of McMaster’s annual Homecoming football game also deserves some sort of prize for perseverance.

Wide receiver Max Cameron, who sat out the entire 2011 Ontario University Athletics season due to a knee injury, helped nationally No. 1 ranked McMaster defeat the Windsor Lancers, 39-18, before a crowd of 5,714 at Ron Joyce Stadium on Saturday.

A 19-year-old product of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, the Niagara Spears Ontario Varsity program and Team Ontario, Cameron caught seven passes for 209 yards against the Lancers (3-4).

“I was with the team last year, but I didn’t get to play any of the season,” Cameron said. “I tore my meniscus at our pre-season game against Laval. It was very disappointing.”

But that feeling of despair has vanished. The nationally televised performance against the Lancers was Cameron’s most productive day as a Marauder. He hauled in passes from quarterback Kyle Quinlan of 53, 27, 22, 27 and 32 yards.

“It was significant, too, because my dad brought six of his buddies up to watch the game,” Cameron said. “They were pretty happy.”

Said McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek: “Max is a fantastic route runner. He was absolutely breaking ankles and getting wide open. If you spend too much time with some of our superstar receivers, the other kids will get you.”

With the win, the Marauders improved to 7-0. They also clinched first place, an automatic bye in the opening round of the playoffs and home field the rest of the way. The defending Vanier Cup-champion Hamilton squad winds up the regular-season schedule Saturday at 1 p.m. against the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks.

In other action, the surprising Guelph Gryphons locked up second place with a 33-28 victory over the Queen’s Gaels. The Ottawa Gee-Gees trounced the Waterloo Warriors, 61-0; the Western Mustangs blasted Laurier, 56-3; and the York Lions topped the Toronto Blues, 36-24.

“We will look at the big pictures on how to use that Laurier game,” Ptaszek said. “My starters can’t have almost a month off and expect to play their best football in the first round of the playoffs. So it will be pedal to the metal. Our coaches will sit down and talk this week about roles and how long our starters will play. We want to finish the regular season as strongly as we can and then use the bye week to get healthy and peak for the semifinal.”

Quinlan tossed three touchdown passes against Windsor, tying Ben Chapdelaine for Mac’s career record in that category (59). The Hec Crighton Trophy candidate completed 24-of-40 for 401 yards and the TDs went to Spencer Moore, Dahlin Brooks and Tyler Loveday for two, 12 and five yards, respectively. Oddly enough, however, Quinlan was intercepted twice — snapping his streak of 186 passes to start the season.

Windsor actually outgained McMaster offensively in the first half and trailed only 17-11 at the intermission. The Lancers’ quarterback, Austin Kennedy, completed 27-of-40 aerial attempts for 380 yards but was picked off four times. His touchdown passes covered 17 yards to Dylan Whitfield and 80 yards to Evan Pszczonak.

“We showed we can stick around and play with the best team,” Kennedy said. “We just have to sustain our success for the entire game. We were shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes (six turnovers). It’s hard to beat anyone throwing four picks, let alone the No. 1 team in the country.”

Tyler Crapigna again was Mr. Reliable for Mac. He booted field goals of 46, 17 and 30 yards to go 17-for-17 in three-point attempts this season. A fumble recovery in the end zone by rookie defensive lineman Michael Kashak gave the Marauders a 37-18 lead with 8:36 left on the clock.

“We defended the run well today, which has kind of been our Achilles heel, defensively,” said Windsor coach Joe D’Amore. “I’m not really into moral victories, but I think this was a step forward for us.”

Marauders defensive end, Ben D’Aguilar, upped his sack total to 12.5, surpassing a CIS single-season record previously shared by Leroy Blugh of Bishop’s and Jim Aru of Queen’s.